MANAUS, BRAZIL — Community leaders and researchers met Aug. 26-27 during two Pre-Drought Workshops held in the Tefé National Forest, known locally as Flona de Tefé. The activities were part of the Amazon Sentinel Lakes Project and took place in the communities of Tauary and Bom Jesus da Ponta da Castanha, bringing together representatives from 43 communities and more than 90 community leaders.

The workshops involved leaders from communities located around Lake Tefé, near the municipality of Tefé, as well as along the Tefé, Bauana and Curumitá rivers within the Tefé National Forest in Amazonas state.

The initiative also included researchers from the Mamirauá Institute, who listened to accounts and experiences shared by community members during previous periods of extreme drought. Based on this information, the project seeks to foster dialogue and develop prevention measures and strategies to address potential periods of drought.

At the end of the meetings, experiences shared by the communities were compiled as input for the preparation of guidance documents. The proposal is for the recommendations to be developed based on the needs and knowledge of the communities themselves, helping inform future actions and public policies.

Credit: Tácio Melo — Mamirauá Institute

Amazon Agency